Film name : Se7en Narrative Structure: - Straight from the beginning their are extreme close ups of things related to God & Religion, therefore implying what the film will be about. Also Seven makes us think, as it could be about a variety of events e.g. 7 deadly sins, 7 days in a week or it could be a countdown? Time is an important factor in this film, this could be a reason for the metranome as this is "calming as it counts time". There is unrestricted narration as it shows you how the killer plans out his murders however it withdraws this information from the character. It's presented with the titles then the opening scene, this could be done so the audience could create suspense.
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Settings: - It's set in a miserable, depressing unknown city. This is a typical convention for a thriller as the dark colours and anonymity of the city set an atmosphere which creates tension, this is important as it links into the theory that G.K Chesterton proposed about "the transformed city" of trying to find excitement in ordinary lives. The reason why the director wanted to keep the city unknown (other than creating a feeling of mystery) is that it could be set anywhere, making the audience think this could happen in reality, therefore broadening the target audience.
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Characters: - The characters are practically a contrast of each others personalities, as you can tell just from the opening that Detective Mills is a "doer" whilst Detective Somerset is a "thinker". There are many binary oppositions with the character e.g. Young/Old, Black/White, Experienced/Inexperienced, this could be interpreted as a conflict between each other, this is why the director chose these actors to play these certain roles as all these details have a meaning to them. At the start, you see Detective Somerset neatly put on a tie whilst wearing a suit, this could be stereotypically portrayed as an authority figures, as the majority of them wear suits. However Detective Mills comes in dressing casually "scruffy" clothes & starts to swear, the audience could have a pre concieved notion that this man isn't as higher class as him and more laid back. The character also owns a knife and a gun, this could connote he is involved in crime.
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Titles: - The colour schemes of the titles are black and white this could represent a binary opposition of good and evil. The colour red could connote many things like death or anger, this could give an insight into what the film might entail. The typography is quite childlike through the sequence which gives an eery atmosphere. All through the sequence it relates to God as he cuts a dollar bill that says "In God we trust" this could connote that he could be keeping God to himself or that he's playing God, so this could possibly give a motive to the killer e.g. "God told me to do it". The theme of religion also carries on when the song Closer - NIN is played and the only lyrics played is "You get me closer to God". The background sound uses noises like heartbeats & record scratching which is quite a repetitive high pitched, screechy noise gives off an awkward atmosphere making it uncomfortable for the audience to watch. It goes on to say "The eyes are the window to the soul" then further on you see the killer scribbling out the eyes of the lawyers wife, this could connote that she could be a victim as she has no "soul". The page turning could be a motif of time as this links back previously to the metranome, the book could also show that this person is clever and well educated so this shows that they're not meaningless killings and a lot of thought and planning has gone into this. When John Doe cuts off his fingerprints this shows the audience that he wants to be anonymous by becoming unidentifiable.
Film name: Red eye
Narrative Structure: - The first person shown is the main character therefore the audience gets to create a relationship with this person straight from the beginning. The opening is split into three different strands: - Domestic, Interior & Industrial Exterior. It also shows that the film isn't going to be about money as he throws the cards he finds away. It also has a sense of anonymity as no faces have been properly shown so it gives the film a sense of mystery.
Thriller Codes & Conventions: - The conventions used in this opening scene are the stereotypical thriller music & actors. It also creates a dark, mysterious scene which is already portrayed as being filled with lies and deceit. Another convention is constant enigma codes e.g. who is JR?
Camerawork: - There is a close tracking shot on a wallet therefore making it idiot proof so that the audience knows the wallet is significant. They use jerky POV pan shots and because of their use of smooth tracking shots, it makes them both stand out more clearly. The camera also zooms into the box of fish where it clearly says "South Florida Dun Sea Food" this lets the audience know the setting of the where the action is taking place.
Mise-en-Scene:- It starts by showing some family photos in it's "cosy" environment which shows that they are educated (Graduation photo) and it's also like an intro within an intro as the pictures show her in a sports outfit therefore it connotes that she is sporty, so this gives the audience a sense of pre-knowledge about the character. The wallet re occurs and there are various shots of just the wallet so this shows the importance of it. It also shows blueprints for a penthouse therefore once again making the audience aware of the possible crime.
Sound: - They play high tempo, fast paced music this could be used so that the action reflects the music. They also have a crescendo to build up the tension & the sound intensifies when "bad" things are about to happen. To make the audiences aware of a new setting, each sequence has its own type of music. Foley has been used in particular sound effects e.g. ripping of the envelope & glass breaking.
Graphics: - The colour scheme is black and white which contrasts with each other yet also giving off simplicity. They also save the "main" people until last e.g. Producer/Director/Screenplay. They also play the credits over the top of the scenes whilst moving closer and further away.
Editing:- They pace of editing changes throughout each sequence as the introduction is slow then when it's on the photos, it goes fast which then ends up going slow when it moves onto the van. As the sound becomes quicker the editing also becomes quicker, to build more tension between the audience and the film. They also use cross cutting between the situations and a number of dissolves.
Film name: State of Play
Narrative Structure: - It starts with a stereotypical chase scene therefore portraying the political crime genre. Also because the man who got shot is black, it could be seen to the audience as having a hint of racism in the plot. There is a clear structure as it goes equilibrium --> Disruption --> Resolution, which many thrillers have.
Thriller Codes & Conventions: - Simply from the beginning you can tell who the main character is because the main characters are generally the "bad guy" who drives the story through a motive. The chaser remains anonymous which builds up suspense through the scene. Also the briefcase could be classed as a thriller convention represented anonymity which could lead onto many questions, like "Who are they?" & "What's in the briefcase?” The film is set in a dark area; this is a stereotypical convention of the thriller genre as they rarely have bright colour settings.
Camerawork: - In the opening scene, they use an establishing shot to show the audience where the scene is being taken place. They do continuous takes with a Steadicam so that the audience constantly knows what’s going on & they vary between low & high angles to show superiority and danger. There are also a few close ups, this might make the audience feel more personal towards the character & it shows the strong emotion. Camerawork is also used to show power e.g. when the camera follows the gun. It also shows the conflict between characters as they are not in the same shot. At the end of the opening scene, they track forward on the victim to show the audience that he is still alive.
Editing & Sound: - In this scene, there are many diegetic sounds being used in the background, mostly just city noises e.g. cars. It's also used especially when the victim is panting as you could say that he is breathing his "last breathe" This is used to create more of a natural environment There is a crescendo to build up tension which turns into a gradual fade out. They don't use stereotypical music in this, they just use low diegetic sounds. There are long takes which result in slow editing in this sequence until the tension builds up. There is no cross cutting & they use very basic styles of editing.
Graphics: - Through typography it shows a binary opposition between good and evil, as the font is white and the background is black, this could also connote conflict. You can also tell that it is an American film as it sticks to theme colours of red, white & blue. Even though minimum graphics is used, it gives a good effect to the audience.
Mise-en-Scene: - It uses pathetic phallacy to set the scene as it's raining, which sets a dark and dingy scene. It is set in Washington at night (this could connote that this will be quite a political film as Washington is a political state). Through this opening scene, you can tell that the briefcase is of importance as it focuses in it clearly; so that it's obvious to the audience this is a key factor. Through Mise-en-Scene, there is a binary opposition between power & poverty; this is shown through the characters. Poverty is shown through the characters bad teeth, which could show that he is at the "wrong end of society" and possibly into drugs, just through analysing his appearance. It also shows the vulnerability of the old people, as the main man pushes straight into them frantically.
Film name: Strangers on a train
Narrative Structure: - Two strangers meet on a train (Bruno & Guy). Bruno imposes himself onto Guy and he suggests that they swap murders so they can't be linked. At the end of the sequence, Bruno takes it seriously whilst Guy brushes him off leaving it on a cliff-hanger. This brings the idea of fate and destiny being brought together through these two characters.
Thriller Codes & Conventions: - A convention used in this is the theme of anonymity, as they are unidentified characters which create mystery. They both come from taxis which gives off this idea as theirs cars can't show their personality & also for a limited amount of time, you only see below the waist. There are few binary oppositions in this, good/evil & white/black (clothing). Also many enigma codes are just used in this opening scene e.g. Why does he want his wife dead? Why is Bruno taking this so seriously?
Camerawork: - There is an establishing shot to make the audience aware of the location and setting. In the 50's, cinematography was limited; however the use of shot reverse shot really can interest an audience to create suspense. Also for the majority of the beginning it's just low level, but still tells the story of the two meeting, this could still entice the audience to carry on watching to see who these people are. However this low level could also connote that the audience should feel inferior to them, and these characters are more important. There is eventually a two shot, which represents equality because if there were signs of conflicts, they wouldn't be in the same shot.
Editing & Sound: - As the sequence starts there is several amounts of cross cutting used in this sequence, between Bruno & Guy, however they start off as separate individuals then brought together by a two shot. The sound is old fashioned & isn't stereotypically "creepy". It is upbeat, loud and quite exaggerated which doesn't fit with the genre so it could be to show that this isn't a stereotypical thriller. They both have musical motifs, Bruno's is very dark & creepy which could imply to the audience that he is the "bad guy". However Guy's is very cheerful & calm.
Graphics: - The typography is quite varied, as although all the titles are shown in a massive bold font, there is a mixture of writing styles. The titles are also done, typical to its era, as the last title says "Directed by" showing the most importance, also no colour is involved to create a minimalistic atmosphere. Even though the majority of the audience isn't interested in the titles, he has chosen to do this in a specific way to create a greater affect without them noticing.
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Mise-en-Scene: - They both come out of taxi's which creates the effect of anonymity as cars can be known to show someones personality and it's hard to track anyone that takes taxi's. They are shown to bring luggage which could seem that they could be travelling for a while or going to stay somewhere. As you can tell by Bruno's shoes, he seems to be a bit eccentric and they are both dressed smart which could make them seem wealthy & important. The clothes that Bruno wears could be seen as quite "mummsy" and the reason his "psychotic" personality could be linked back to Freudians theories. The train tracks could connote a journey of life and the crossing of the tracks could be interpreted as Bruno & Guy's lives emerging together and that it was destiny that they both met. Also you can never travel backwards on trains, only forwards this could be a metaphor that they both can't turn back to their previous lives. One thing about the trains, is that many strangers meet together with their own private lives to do something together.
Film name: Sin City
Narrative Structure: - The opening scene is the first story of 4 throughout the film called The Customer is always right, it's based on the depression of a woman who arranged for someone to kill her. Throughout the opening scene, you can tell that there must be an alternative motive through their meeting due to their body language however it comes as a shock when he kills her as in the previous shots they seem to be midly flirting with each other.
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Thriller Codes & Conventions: - Many thriller conventions were used in this opening scene, the setting is one of them as it's set in quite a mundane urban city. Also a gun is used at the end of this sequence, and guns are mostly related to the thriller genre. There are many binary oppositions used in this e.g. Light/Dark, Colour/Black & White & Male/Female.
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Camerawork: - The sequence starts with a high angle shot so that you can get acquainted with the setting. Then it goes into a long shot which lasts quite a while, this is done because you see the characters becoming closer as he walks closer to her. They use close ups of the cigarettes and lighter this could make the audience think that they are important as it puts all the focus on these inanimate objects rather the characters themselves. Mig shots & over the shoulder shots are used during their conversation to get to know the characters, yet also show that they haven’t come together yet possibly due to conflict or lack of trust so they focus on one character at a time. There gradual relationship is shown through a mid shot to a gradual close up however at the end of the sequence, high angle shot was used which could connote her vulnerability.
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Mise-en-Scene: - The scene starts with the women in the centre wearing a bright red dress whilst the background is set in black and white, the colour makes the audience focus on this character to show that she is important also the red dress could connote love or danger, however it could also connote blood because of the ending. The bright lights of the party was done so that the man is shadowed so you can't see him, this could create mystery. Both of them are dressed formally so that it shows that they are at quite a formal party, this could signify that there meeting is also formal. The gun uses very phallic imagery; this could show the superiority of the man as he takes her life, the gun also takes up half the screen so that audience automatically focuses on it.
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Editing & Sound: - Slow editing is used in the opening scene; this is shown through the long takes, as the shots last for a while. They normally do this for quieter & more emotional scenes to create a greater effect, which you can also tell from the body language between the characters as they are both, relaxed yet it creates tension. They create this atmosphere so that the ending is more of a shock to the audience. They use various editing techniques through the scene, like shot reverse shot; this is used so that the audience can feel like they are actually in the scene with them producing more realism. The colour is one of the main features of this scene, and the film, as the only colours used in this scene is black, white, red and green however it’s cleverly used to intrigue the audience, as it’s not like other films, however the way it is presented is because it’s based on the comic books. The background is mainly black, white or grey; this makes the red dress stand out even more showing importance. Another great use of colour is when the women’s eyes light up green, this makes the audience focus on them, it also could connote jealousy for the male.
Film name: Clockwork Orange
Narrative Structure :- A Clockwork Orange is a psychological thriller that symbolises violence and how modern society deals with it. It starts with just an orange background and gothic music in the background, this could show that orange will be a key colour throughout the film, then it cuts to Alex who is staring into the camera, this shot lasts for a while, this shows the audience that Alex is the main character and important to the storyline. It cuts tracks outwards to discover others in the Korova Milkbar. This then leads onto a drunk singing who then eventually gets mocked and violently attacked by them.
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Thriller Codes & Conventions :- There are many thriller codes and conventions in this sequence, there are the stereotypical "creepy" music and the overal mise en scene creates a dark setting. From the beginning, you can tell that Alex will be the main character so he will be the one who controls the story. We are instantly introduced to violence however from the first two sequences there is a binary opposition of peace and agression. The Mise en scene also displays thriller conventions as naked mannequins are used as tables, which gives the effect of perversion.
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Camera work :- In the first sequence, the camerawork is simple as it is just a long tracking shot from a close up to a long shot, this was done to show the audience the entire room to feel more aware of it yet it was also done in slowly and steadily to create an expression of unease for the audience. In the second sequence it starts with just a body of a drunk hiding his face, this could create a sense of anonymity of a person unknown, this could connote that the man himself could represent a number of different people to keep it generalisable. Then it quickly tracks outwards to see the long silhouetted shadows of the men, unrestricted narration is done so that the audiences can feel tension knowing that something is about to happen. Then there is a long shot of the four men walking towards the drunk with bright lightning behind them to show their long shadows, this could have been done to show their superiority over the drunken man, as he is lying down whilst they’re standing above him. The long shot is also used to show the audience that the setting is completely empty with no one else to help. It cuts from the drunken man lying on the floor to a close up of Alex above him, this too can symbolise the power that he has over him. The end shot is a long shot of the men violently beating the drunken man, they used a long shot to show that all of the men are joining in and to give the audience a greater effect of the seriousness of the situation.
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Sound :- The music played in the background is comprises classical music and electronic synthetic music with a slow beat, this is very effective as it gradually builds up over time, making the audience build up tension. The dialogue is in Nadsat which also gives a sense of sinister weirdness, throughout the sequence these slang words are used like “droogs” & “rassoodocks”, this shows the audience that these characters are beyond normality.
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